Page 14 of What If I Knew You

“Shut up,” Ledger admonishes. “I don’t have a crush on her.”

“Oh, then you’re good if I ask her out?” I ask him. “Because she looks damn good today in that pink skirt she’s wearing.”

Ledger’s eyes narrow and for a moment he looks like he might just pounce off the bench and pummel me. I hold my hands up and chuckle at him.

“Only kidding, man. You can relax. I’m not asking anyone out any time soon.” I lower my hands. “But also, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when I walked into the front office yesterday it sounded like she was gushing over a text from someone…if that means anything…” I shrug and pass Ledger an empathetic wince.

He does look rather disappointed to hear that news.

“Sorry, Ledger.”

“It’s fine,” he says with a shrug. “She’s an adult and free to see whomever she wants.”

“Or you could just buck up and ask her out,” Griffin tells him.

Ledger shakes his head. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Just leave it alone, alright?”

Wow. I didn’t take Ledger for one of those leave-it-to-fate types. I kind of assumed he was one of those guys who sleeps around and enjoys the single-guy life.

Maybe I have a lot to learn.

“How do you guys do it anyway?” I ask after I hop onto the nearest treadmill.

Oliver glances at me from the treadmill next to mine in a full run. “Do what?”

“How do you make time for full-blown relationships? Or marriage and all the stuff that comes with that?”

August smiles widely and shrugs. “You just do.”

“Yeah, but don’t you worry that your relationship responsibilities will take away from your career? Make you less of a player?”

Even with a face dripping with sweat, Oliver raises a brow as he slows his run. “Do I look like less of a player to you, Roche?”

Sensing his irritation I quickly shake my head. “No. No. And I’m not saying either of you are. I’m just…ugh. I’m clearly not articulating my thoughts very well.”

“Have you never been in a relationship before, Roche?” Griffin asks. At that moment, I can feel the guys staring at me, but I proudly shake my head.

“No. I don’t do relationships. No time. Too much effort.”

“Pity,” August chuckles.

“Why’s that?”

He wipes his face with his towel and then turns toward me. “Because having someone special in your life to just…be your person is one of the best feelings in the world.”

“Says the guy who married his childhood best friend,” Harrison adds. “She’s been your person since you guys could walk and talk. She would’ve been your person even had you not married her.”

“Not true.” August shakes his head. “If she would’ve married someone else, she would’ve been that guy’s person. She would’ve been in love with someone else. Lucky for me, that’s not how it worked out and yeah, she’ll always be my person now. I’m a fuckin’ lucky guy. Same for Oliver and Scarlett, right, Magallen? And you two dated during the season.”

“Yep. And semi-long distance for a while until she moved to Anaheim to live with me.” Oliver looks at me and says, “Scarlett was originally from L.A. but we met when her fiancé didn’t show up for their wedding and she wanted someone to celebrate part of her honeymoon with her. A Halloween party in New Orleans.”

“That’s cool. How did you make it work with her during the season?”

“We just did. We did because we wanted to be together. When she could, she’d come here to visit. On days off, I’d try to go there or we’d meet halfway. But I never missed a practice or a workout if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Harrison smirks. “One could say you even had a little extra cardio.”

“Oh, there’s nothing little about it.” Oliver laughs before making eye contact with me again. “But August is right. There’s something to be said for having another human standing beside you through life. It’s a good feeling to know you’re not alone in the world, and I can’t lie. The sex is out of this world.”

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